Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth's population grew in the 10 years leading up to 2011. Data from the census also show there were changes in work life, health and religion.

The population passed 97,000

Between the last two censuses, the population of Great Yarmouth increased by 7.1%, from about 90,800 to 97,300.

The addition of just under 6,500 people means this area's population increased at a similar rate to the overall population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Great Yarmouth was home to, on average, 4 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across Eastof England

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Eastof England, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Great Yarmouth

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Great Yarmouth increased by two years, from 41 to 43 years.

This seaside area had a higher average age than Eastof England and remained somewhat older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of almost 3,400 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just over 2,000.

About 14% of people in Great Yarmouth are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Great Yarmouth by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Great Yarmouth working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 15% to 11% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (3.0%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.9% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 15% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Great Yarmouth decreased by 4.5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Great Yarmouth, Eastof England and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

Great Yarmouth saw Eastof England's second-largest fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad.

In 2011, about 1 in 14 (7.1%) in Great Yarmouth said their health was bad or very bad, compared with 11% in 2001. The percentage that perceived their health as good or very good increased from 63% to 76%.

Across the region, only Norwich saw a greater fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad (from 9.8% to 5.7%).

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

Every local authority area across Eastof England saw a fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad, as the regional average fell from 7.6% to 4.7%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Great Yarmouth decreased by 3.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Great Yarmouth, Eastof England and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Changing work life

The percentage of Great Yarmouth residents that were self-employed increased from 8.2% to 8.3% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just under one in two (49%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 48% in 2001. The percentage of Great Yarmouth residents that were unemployed increased from 5.3% to 6.1%.

The proportion of self-employed people decreased faster here than in any other local authority district across Eastof England. The improvement brought health in Great Yarmouth close to the regional average 11% in Eastof England described their health as good in 2011).

The rate of self-employment was lower than across Eastof England

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 that said they were self-employed across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Great Yarmouth

The number of people in Great Yarmouth that described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 15,000 in 2001 to just over 29,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 17% to 30% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across Eastof England (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Great Yarmouth that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 68,000 in 2001 to just over 59,000 in 2011 (from 75% to 61%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation decreased from about 7,200 to just over 7,000 (from 7.9% to 7.2%).

Just under 520 people (0.3%) said they were Muslim, up from about 280 in 2001 (0.5%).

The population without a religion in Great Yarmouth increased by 14 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Great Yarmouth by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

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